The present invention relates generally to the field of telephone and electronic mail system integration, and more particularly to a method of and system for providing priority call processing based upon electronic mail status between a calling party and a called party.
Current telephone systems, implemented in circuit switched environments, such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN) or private branch exchange (PBX) networks, or in packet switched environments, such Internet protocol (IP) telephony systems, provide many options for enhancing the usefulness of the system to users. For example, voice mail enables users to have their calls answered by an automated system that records a voice message from the calling party if the called party is unavailable or desires not to take the call. Call forwarding allows a user to have calls to their number forwarded to another number. Call forwarding can be combined with voice mail so that a user can have calls forwarded automatically to voice mail. Certain telephone devices include a do not disturb (DND) key that is used to automatically forward calls to voice mail, a secretary, or a message center.
Voice mail and call forwarding thus enable a user not to be disturbed during meetings or during periods when the user wishes to work without being interrupted with telephone calls. However, there are times that a user would like to receive certain priority calls at the same time the user wishes not to be bothered with normal calls. For example, a user may have sent a priority or urgent electronic mail item to a party and expect a call from that party regarding the electronic mail item. In such case, the user might wish not to receive most calls, but the user would certainly want to speak immediately to the recipient of the electronic mail item. Currently, the user must either receive all calls, or monitor his or her voice mail box for messages from the recipient of the electronic mail item. If a caller ID display is available the calling party must call from a recognized phone and the called party must be able to recognize the caller ID.
The present invention provides a method of and system for providing priority call processing based upon the status of electronic mail items between a called party and a calling party. The present invention may be implemented in a circuit switched telephone network, such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN) or a private branch exchange (PBX) network, or in a packet switched network, such as an Internet telephony system. Suitable application programming interfaces (APIs) are provided between the telephone system elements and an electronic mail system.
When the system of the present invention receives a request to set up a call between the calling party and the called party, the system determines if the called party has priority call processing activated or enabled. If not, the system provides normal call processing. However, if priority call processing is enabled or activated, the system determines if there is a priority electronic mail item between the called party and the calling party. If so, the system provides special processing of the call.
An example of a priority electronic mail item is an electronic mail item to or from the calling party that the called party has designated a priority item, as for example by placing the electronic mail item in a priority electronic mail repository. Another example of a priority electronic mail item is an item that is inherently of a priority nature, such as a confirm on delivery (COD) electronic mail item. For example, a call will receive priority processing according to the present invention if the called party has sent an unanswered COD electronic mail item to the calling party. A call will also receive priority processing according to the present invention if the called party has sent a COD electronic mail item to the calling party within a predetermined time prior to receiving the call.
Priority call processing according to the present invention includes such processing as providing special call waiting and overriding call forwarding. Special call waiting according to the present invention includes determining if the called party number is busy, waiting the priority call, and providing a special priority call waiting announcement or tone to the called party. If the called party number is forwarded to another number, such to voice mail, a do not disturb number, or simply another number, priority call processing according to the present invention rings the called party number in an appropriate manner based upon the status (e.g., a pre-selected number of times), to allow the called party to answer, and then forwards the call to the call forwarding number.